Daycare
by ANIME-TALES
Summary: Ichigo is broke. A friend helps him find a job to help fund his social needs. But is working at a daycare really worth it? Especially when one of his coworkers is a total prick? Well, looks are deceiving…and everyone has their own story. Humor, Romance, Drama. (GrimmIchi) ((I DO NOT OWN BLEACH))
1. A Strawberry and a Blueberry

Daycare Chapter 1

**HELLO MY LOVELIES! So, this is my first yaoi fanfiction! *claps hands* I hope you enjoy! Remember to review, because your comments and critiques really help me out. Thanks! **

**Summary: Ichigo is broke. A friend helps him find a job to help fund his social needs. But is working at a daycare really worth it? Especially when one of his coworkers is a total prick? Well, looks are deceiving… **

Ichigo POV

Well, I just finished high school a week ago and let me tell you, I thought things would be much different. You know, parties with my friends, going to the beach, all that stuff. I don't even have a car! Then I realized the one main factor that was screwing up all of my plans: I am broke.

When I say broke, I mean absolutely ZERO. You can't do much in Japan without any money. So, here I am, in my goat-faced father's house lying in bed. I NEED to get a job. Suddenly, my phone started to ring.

"Yo." I answered

"Hey, bro." My friend Renji answered. We have been friends since kindergarten and have been pretty much inseparable ever since.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Me, Rukia, Chad, and Inoue are gonna go bowling tonight. Wanna come?"

"I would, but you know that I have no money."

"Ah, right. You really need to find yourself a job! You know, my friend owns a daycare center pretty close to your house. Want me to see if they have any open spots? It can just be a temporary thing 'till you find a job that can get you some good cash." A daycare center? Do I really want to spend all day taking care of some dumb kids?

"I don't know man…"

"C'mon, It's a job and you want a job. Just let me ask, at least."

"Fine. Thanks, Renji."

"No prob, Strawberry. Now, I gotta go. Rukia is taking me to meet her parents today…wish me luck." I chuckled and hung up the phone. Renji and Rukia have been dating for a couple of years now. They seemed to get along nicely. I got up and walked into my family room.

"ICHIGOOO, MY SON!" my idiot dad screamed as he appeared from nowhere, ready to kick my face. I swiftly dodged and he crashed into the wall behind me.

"YOU IDIOT!" I screamed as I kicked him in his leg. My sister Yuzu came rushing to his aid. My other sister Karin just watched my father's limp body twitch from the couch. I greeted my sisters and walked over to the fridge to get some soda. Then, I went back into my room.

Would I really want a job at a daycare center? I mean, it really isn't something that I would pick but hey, it probably pays pretty well and I REALLY need the money. There are also probably some hot girls who will think I'm cute and sensitive to be working with kids. I smiled at the thought. Another thing I was lacking besides money was a love life. Maybe this job wouldn't be so bad after all.

As if on cue, Renji called right at that moment.

"Hey Ichi, they have the job available and they REALLY need a person to fill it by tomorrow. The girl who runs the place trusts me and I told her you were a really cool guy so she says you can start tomorrow. It pays really well, too. So is that a yes? She needs to know like…now."

"Uh…yeah. Of course. Tomorrow, you said?"

"Yeah, be at the Karakura Daycare Center at 8. The shift is from 8-4."

"Thanks, Renji. You seriously can be pretty cool sometimes."

"Don't you mean all the time? Anyway, I gotta go. Have fun working with booger-eating kids tomorrow!"

Before I could say anything else, he hung up. Wow, I can't believe I got a job that easily!

**THE NEXT DAY….**

Grimmjow POV

The sound of an alarm clock is the first thing I hear every morning. I look at the time; 7:45. It's the fucking summer and I have to spend my time working at a stupid daycare center. The only perk is working with kids. I may look like a tough guy on the outside, but I have a soft spot for kids…and small animals.

I rolled myself out of bed and shuffled to my closet. I'm not gonna even bother taking a shower, I don't smell too bad. I picked out a pair of light-washed faded jeans and a red faded v-neck t-shirt. I quickly put them on and walked into my bathroom.

I looked in the mirror, my blue hair was a mess as usual. But, I still looked good. I gave myself a smirk in the mirror and quickly brushed my teeth. I can't be late today, Tatsuki would kill me. I quickly slipped on my converse, grabbed my phone and keys, and ran out of the door.

Luckily, the daycare center is a walking distance from my apartment. If it wasn't, I probably would have been fired by now. In a matter of minutes, I arrived at the center.

Tatsuki emerged out of her office with a relieved look on her face.

"Wow, you actually made it right on time, Grimmjow." She said sarcastically. I shrugged.

"Yeah, well, I try." I said.

"Anyway, you needa show Ichigo around, he's new here." She said as an orange headed guy stepped out of her office looking bored as hell. But I gotta admit, he was pretty cute. His short orange hair framed his chocolate brown eyes perfectly. He was wearing a scowl that could probably rival the intensity of mine. I looked him over up and down, he was a little shorter than me, maybe 6 foot? A faint blush was emerging on his cheeks, I was probably making him uncomfortable by checking him out. He stuck out his hand.

"Uh, hey, I'm Kurosaki Ichigo." He mumbled. I flashed him one of my typical smirks and grabbed his hand forcefully to shake it.

"Nice to meet ya, Strawberry." I said. He cringed at the name I called him and rolled his eyes. "I'm Grimmjow."

"So, Grimmjow, show Ichigo around and make sure to do it before 8:30. That's when the kids arrive today." Tatsuki said as she went back into her office.

"C'mon Strawberry, follow me." I said walking into the main room. I heard Ichigo groan and then follow me.

"Don't call me that." He said.

"Okay, Berry."

"Stop."

"Ichi?"

"You fucking prick."

"Whoa, that's not too nice, Strawberry." I smirked. It was so fun to rile this guy up.

"Shut the fuck up…_Blueberry_." He smirked. I frowned. He gave me an even wider smirk.

"Okay, well whatever. Lemme show you around." I said because for once, I couldn't think of a witty comeback. I'm losing my touch. Anyway, me and Berry made our way over to the play area.

"Well, this is the play area…where the brats play." I told him while motioning my hand in its general direction.

"No shit, Sherlock." He said while rolling his eyes. "If the rest of the tour is gonna be like this, I can show myself around." I rolled my eyes. This kid has an attitude.

"Okay well whatever then, I'll make it quick. That's the kitchen and eating area. The kids eat there at around 10:30, 12:30, and 3:00; having snack, lunch, and another snack respectively. Over there is there is the arts and crafts area; paper is in the top bin, crayons and writing utensils in the second, and paint and smocks in the third. Arts and crafts is after the first snack time. The library and "reading time rug" are over there, and we start off each day by reading a book to them. They also need to make sure that they put their shit in the cubbies, which are located in that that corner over there. Uhh…yeah that's about it. I don't think you're gonna do much on your first day. Maybe you'll hand out some snacks or maybe if you're lucky, you get assist in arts in crafts…I hope that's not your favorite outfit you have on. That shit can get messy as fuck. Anyway, I gotta go finish some shit and your attitude is annoying me so, bye." I say quickly and make my way to the back office. I check my watch. Shit! It's 8:24, the brats are coming soon.

Ichigo POV

I stared after Grimmjow, dumbfounded. How the hell was I supposed to remember all of the shit that he told me just now? He spoke at about a mile a minute and I was a bit distracted by his…well, face. I mean, for a guy I guess, he was pretty attractive. I've never seen eyes quite as blue as his, quite eerie actually. They had a predatory glint to them, which made me a bit uncomfortable. His hair was a bit lighter than his eyes and it fell into his face displaying an "I don't give a flying fuck" type of attitude. He was taller than me by an inch or two…or three. He was heavily muscled, but not in a gross body builder way; too bulky to call lithe but…well you get the picture. Suddenly, a screaming voice snapped me out of my daydream.

"AYO BERRY, QUIT DROOLING OVER ME AND DO SOMETHING USEFUL. MAYBE SET UP SOME CRAFTS, YEAH?" Grimmjow screamed from the office with an amused smirk. I could feel my face turn completely red. Damn, I've been staring at him for the past minute and a half. And he noticed. Not to mention Tatsuki was staring at me like I was a demented freak as well. _Good first impression, Ichigo._ I check my watch. Hm…8:28. I busy myself preparing some crafts while I wait for the kids to arrive.

**Tell me how you guys liked it! Remember to review! **


	2. Phase 1: COMPLETE

**Chapter 2**

**Hey guys! Next chapter is here, so please tell me what you think by reviewing! Thanks!**

Grimmjow POV

Haha. After I went into the office to prepare for the arrival of the kids, I caught the Berry staring at me. Hm…I wonder what his preference is. I mean, I'm bi but I tend to lean more towards guys. However, the look on his face after I called him out told me everything that I needed to know. He probably thinks he's straight but also thinks I'm hot. I smirked. I'm just gonna have to crack him. He's hot enough for a challenge.

I'm snapped out of my thoughts as I hear the front door open and 2 kids and their mom run in. I run over to greet them.

"Hey, Jinata! Hey Ururu!" I said cheerfully to the little boy and girl. He gave me a glance, stuck out his tongue, and ran off to the play area to play with some trucks. Ururu waved shyly and walked over to the cubbies. Oh, how I love kids. I directed my attention to their mother.

"Hi, Miss. Hanakari." I said.

"Oh, hello Grimmjow!" she said while batting her eyelashes. I looked down and noticed she was sticking out her chest to emphasize her boobs. This lady was constantly flirting with me. I quickly flicked my eyes toward Ichigo, who was now staring us down. I smirked. I decided to start my plan for winning the Berry over.

"How are you? And might I say, you look absolutely beautiful in that shirt." I said with a charming smile. I quickly steal a glance at Ichigo and his eyebrows were scrunched up in a mix of amusement and anger.

"Oh, Grimmjow! You're so sweet! Maybe we should…hang out later?" she said excitedly. I looked over at Ichigo for the last time and he rolled his eyes and walked away. I sighed.

"Uh, no. Sorry, I have…stuff to do later. Have a nice day!" I said while walking away. I heard he huff sadly and walk out the door. Ichigo had made his way over to the play area and started talking to Jinta. I smiled and made my way over as well.

Ichigo's POV

Why am I jealous? I don't even know the guy, for fuck's sake! But, when I saw Grimmjow flirting with that kid's mom, I felt so envious for some reason. And when he looked over at me and smirked, I just decided to go talk to the boy. I got up from the craft area and walked over to the play area where he was playing with some trucks.

"Hey, what's your name?" I asked while sitting down on the rug next to him. He looked over at me and gave me a bored expression.

"Why should I tell you? Who are you? I've never seen you before." He said while turning his attention back to the trucks.

"Oh…I'm Ichigo. I'm new here." I said. At this moment, Grimmjow decided to join us on the rug. I didn't even look in his direction.

"Oh okay. I'm Jinta. Your hair looks weird. That's a bad color to dye your hair." He said matter-of-factly. I fumed on the inside. _Calm down Ichigo, he's just a kid. He's like what, 5? _A loud barking laugh interrupted my thoughts. Of course, it was coming from Grimmjow.

"Haha! I know right! Maybe he ate too many carrots or something and his hair turned that crazy color!" Grimmjow said. Jinta looked unamused.

"Well your hair looks even weirder. Did you eat too much cotton candy?" Jinta said. I stared laughing while Grimmjow pouted.

"Freakin' kids. I gotta go get the people from the front door." He mumbled incoherently and got up and left. I looked over at Jinta and gave him a high five.

"I like you, Jinta." I laughed. "Oh, and my hair is naturally like this." He simply nodded and went back to playing with trucks. I sighed, got up, and went over to his sister who was at the cubbies.

"Hey, what's your name?" I asked. I was startled when she jumped and let out a squeak. "Oh my god, I didn't mean to scare you!" I said.

"It-It's okay." She said quietly. "I'm Ururu. Wh-What's your name?"

"I'm Ichigo. I'm new here." I said. She nodded and scurried off to play with some dolls. I looked up to see Grimmjow talking to a girl with sea green hair into the daycare. She jumped on him and started to hug him. It seemed like Grimmjow was suffocating under her huge boobs. Was that his girlfriend or something? I suddenly felt the jealousy bubbling up. I ignored it.

"GRIMMY!" she screamed while holding him in a vice-like grip.

"Oh my got Nel, if you don't get off of me in 2 seconds I swear I will kick you half way across the room." He growled. She laughed and let go of him. _Wow, great way to treat your girlfriend, _I thought.

"Sorry! I'm just so happy to see you!"

"Are you some sort of idiot? You see me every day!" Grimmjow squealed. He coughed, realizing how unmanly his squeal was. "Anyway, you're late. Try to come on time." Nel rolled her eyes.

"Grimmy, you can't tell me not to be late when you're always…" she stopped mid -sentence and I saw her eyes lock on to me. I heard her gasp and in no time I was being suffocated by huge boobs.

"H-Help! I-I can't Br-BREATHE!" I coughed as I called for help.

"AHHH! I'm sorry! You must be new. I'm Grimmy's sister, Nel. I work here as well. What's your name? You're so cute! I love your hair!" She said really fast while tousling my hair. I blushed.

"Oh, it's Ichigo." I said, regaining my composure. This girl was really beautiful. Her grey eyes were huge and her face was covered in a constant blush that made her look very innocent. She was pretty tall with a great body and long, flowing sea green hair. I was a bit relieved to know she was just Grimmjow's sister.

"I'm so glad to meet you!" she screeched and pulled me in for another hug.

Grimmjow's POV

You can count on my dim-witted sister to make a move on Ichigo before I got a chance to. I watched her suffocate Ichigo with her huge tits and rolled my eyes.

"Nel, you're gonna kill the kid." I said with a bored expression. Truthfully, I was a bit jealous. Seeing Ichigo's blushing face being engulfed in Nel's chest did not make me happy. I went over and pried her off of him.

"Okay, Nel. Go get to work." I told her.

"Okay. I'll talk to you later, Ichigo!" she said cheerfully and ran off to play with some kids.

"Sorry about her. She's…interesting." I said sticking out my hand to help Ichigo off of the floor. He ignored my hand and I rolled my eyes.

"No, it's okay. She's cool" he said smiling goofily. Don't tell me the Berry has a fucking crush on my sister. I'm just gonna have to try harder to get Ichigo.

…

…

…

Ichigo's POV

Well, it's 4:00 and all of the kids left already. It was a stressful day, filled with screaming kids and runny noses. It was enjoyable, though. Nel was really nice and I can tell that we were gonna be friends. Grimmjow was just being an ass the whole day. Finally, it was time to go. I said bye to Tatsuki and Nel. I also said bye to Halibel and Unohana, two more employees that I met later that day. I walked out of the door and started to walk down the street. Suddenly, I felt someone tap my shoulder. I turned around and was greeted with Grimmjow's face. I sighed.

"Hey, Berry." He smirked.

"Don't fucking call me that, I'll beat your face in." I said.

"I'd like to see you try." He taunted. I quickly whipped around and kicked him in the shin. He grunted and grabbed his leg.

"Shit, Berry I was joking. Damn." He said regaining his composure. I chuckled.

"Haha, sorry. Did I kick the poor Blueberry too hard?" I asked. He rolled his eyes and ignored me. We walked for a little bit more in comfortable silence until we got to my house.

"Well, this is my place. See ya tomorrow." I said, waving.

"See ya later, Berry." He said. I rolled my eyes and searched in my messenger bag for my keys. SHIT! I forgot my keys. My sisters were at camp and my dad was at work.

"Ugh, I forgot my keys." I mumbled.

"Wanna stay at mine until your family gets back?" Grimmjow asked with a smirk. Was he serious? I gave him an exasperated look. He sighed.

"Look, I'm just trying to be nice. I'm not gonna do anything to you…unless you want me to." He purred. I could feel my face turn red. What was he insinuating? Anyway, I needed to make a descision, it was either sit on the front step for 2 hours or go hang out with Grimmjow. I decided that the latter sounded more enjoyable…not because I liked him or anything.

"Okay, fine. But if you even try ANYTHING I'm leaving." I growled. He saluted me and told me to follow him. Was this a mistake?

Grimmjow's POV

Phase One: Get the Berry to come to my house- COMPLETE.

**So that's it! PLEASE REVIEW. Give me ideas, critiques, compliments, seriously ANYTHING! Thanks for reading! **


	3. Falling for Him

**Chapter 3**

**Hey guys! Sorry for the late update, I had a lot of testing and projects for school and stuff. But anyway, I hope you like this new chapter! **

Ichigo's POV

It didn't take very long to get to Grimmjow's house. He actually lives a couple of streets up from mine. I was surprised that I've never seen him before. Anyway, we walked up to a nice apartment building and walked into the lobby. Grimmjow walked over to the front desk, rolled his eyes, and smacked the person sleeping behind the desk.

"Starrk, get your lazy ass up!" he yelled. The man jolted and sat upright. He quickly wiped some drool from his mouth and rubbed his eyes.

"Oh, hey Grimmjow. I got your mail." He said sleepily. He pushed his shoulder length brown hair out of his face, stood up, and walked over to the back room. He came back with a couple of letters and a package. He gave it to Grimmjow .

"Thanks, Starrk." Grimmjow said.

"No prob…who's that?" he asked looking at me. He smirked and looked back at Grimmjow. "One of your latest toys—" Starrk was cut off by Grimmjow harshly "shhh-ing" him.

"No, and shut up. I'm leaving." He said and beckoned me to follow him into the elevator. Once we got in, he pushed the 7 button and sighed.

"Do you and Starrk not get along?" I asked.

"Nah, he's actually one of my good friends. He's actually dating my sister. Oh by the way, you're probably gonna meet my roommate Nnoitra. He's kind of…well you'll see." He replied. I just shrugged my shoulders. We stood in a comfortable silence until we both heard the elevator ding. We stepped out and I followed him to room 7B. He pulled out his keys and opened the door. My nose was greeted by the smell of old pizza and cigarettes. I nearly gagged.

"It legit smells like something died in here." I said covering my nose.

"Eh, you get used to the smell. Nnoitra smokes and smells bad so...anyway, where's Nnoi?" he said. "EY NNOI, I WANT YA TO MEET SOMEONE."

I heard some shuffling and a crash and saw an extremely tall shirtless guy stumble out of a room.

"Why ya gotta wake me up so early, man?" he said with a scowl.

"Nnoi, its 4:35 in the afternoon. It's actually sad that you were still asleep. Anyway, this kid is Ichigo. Ichi, this drunk is Nnoitra. Blah, blah, blah, get acquainted." Grimmjow said casually.

"I'm not a kid, asshole! I'm probably the same age as you!" I shouted. Grimmjow grunted and walked into the kitchen to get something to drink. I turned to Nnoitra and nearly shit my pants because he was looking at me with the creepiest grin ever. He was about 6 foot 5, or maybe even a little more, with long thin jet black hair. He wore an eye patch over one eye, which I found a bit strange. He was extremely skinny, yet muscular. His skin was a pale color and his teeth were definitely too big for his mouth. He was overall just a creepy guy.

"Yer kinda cute, Berry." Nnoitra said whilst leaning against the wall. I was seeing red when Grimmjow popped his head out of the kitchen.

"Don't call him Berry, he'll kick you." Grimmjow warned. Nnoitra looked genuinely scared for a moment but quickly regained his composure.

"Okay, _Ichigo_, wanna come into my bedroom and I'll show you a fun time?" he smirked while getting closer. Okay, this bitch crossed the line. I kicked him in the shin and walked over to sit on their couch. While Nnoitra was crying out in pain, Grimmjow came out of the kitchen howling with laughter and holding two cans of Pepsi. He tossed one to me and plopped down on the couch next to me (maybe a little too close, but I didn't mind that much). Nnoitra mumbled something along the lines of "fucking bitch" and sauntered off into his bedroom.

"Sorry about Nnoi," Grimmjow said. "I warned you."

"You didn't warn me! You started to say something and stopped mid-sentence like an idiot."

"Yeah, well I tried. You like video games?" he asked with a smirk.

"Yeah. What do you have?" Grimmjow walked over to a large stack of xbox and a few Wii games and started sifting through them.

"Well, I mean most of these are one player games…" he mumbled whilst sifting some more. From where I was sitting on the couch I spotted a game I haven't played in years.

"Super Smash Bros.! Oh my god, I haven't played that since like…9th grade!" I said.

"Me neither, let's play." Grimmjow said while putting it into the Wii. "I haven't even turned on my Wii since 9th grade…"

"How old are you?" I asked abruptly. He looked at me kinda funny before answering.

"Oh, uh 20. What about you? 12?" he said sarcastically. Do I even look like I'm 12? I'm almost as tall as him!

"No, idiot, I'm 19." I said. He raised his eyebrows and shrugged.

"Cool, I guess. Anyway, let's get started. I'm gonna kick your ass, by the way." He said.

"Whatever, you'll see." I said as the starting screen popped up on the television. He tossed me a remote and rejoined me on the couch. He quickly selected Brawl and the character screen popped up. "CHOOSE YOUR CHARACTER" boomed through the speakers. This game felt so nostalgic.

"Okay, I remember Marth was my best character, so I call dibs." Grimmjow said while selecting Marth.

"I think I'm gonna go with Ness." I said while selecting Ness. Grimmjow let out a bark of laughter.

"Ness isn't gonna beat Marth but whatever." He said while rolling his eyes. I ignored him and clicked begin. Grimmjow was gonna taste defeat.

Grimmjow POV

How the fuck did the Berry beat me? I had the best character and the best skill. After he won, he jumped up and started dancing around screaming "SUCK IT, LOSER". I smirked and decided to turn the situation around.

"Suck what, _Ichigo_?" I murmured. He immediately stopped dancing and reddened visibly.

"I'm sure you're aware that it's just a saying." He said.

"Hm, too bad." I smirked. He awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck.

"Do you have a bathroom?" he asked.

"Nope." I said sarcastically. He apparently didn't find it funny because he just stared at me harshly. "Second door on the left." He went over to the bathroom and I heard a door close.

I sighed. It seems like it's gonna be hard to get the Berry to fall for me. I need to make him discover that he likes me. I like him. It feels weird for me too. I'm not used to liking people. Usually I meet them, fuck them, and leave them. That's the way it's been for me until I saw the Berry. I rolled my eyes. I feel like a fucking teenage girl; liking a guy on the first day you meet him. Whatever, I guess we have a…connection. Ugh, enough with this sappy emotional crap.

Ichigo POV

How could Grimmjow say something like that? His words repeated in my mind like a mantra.

**_"Suck what, Ichigo?"_**

**_"Hm, too bad."_**

I rushed off to the bathroom because I felt myself getting a little hard from those words. I shot the door and looked into the mirror. Am I gay? I have no problem with being gay I just always thought I wasn't. I guess I've never had sex with a girl either. I sighed. Well, I like Grimmjow. Yeah, I just met him today but I think we have a…connection. I rolled my eyes. I don't want to think about this right now. I quickly pissed, washed my hands, and walked out of the bathroom. I was going to make my way back to the living room when a different room caught my eye. I saw different canvases through the crack on the door. I looked over to the living room to make sure Grimmjow wouldn't see me. I sneaked into the room and almost gasped out loud after seeing what I saw.

Paintings and a few sculptures were everywhere in this room. Paint spots in various colors covered the floor and paint brushes were in cans everywhere. I spotted a specific painting that was especially beautiful. I walked over to it. It was a painting of a huge panther with jet black fur and ice blue eyes, like Grimmjow's. It was saying in a desolate desert curled up next to a bundle of something green...like something wrapped in fabric. I reached up to touch the panther when I heard a voice.

"Please don't touch it." A low voice from behind me said. I whipped my head around and saw Grimmjow's face. He didn't look mad, just serious.

"Sorry, I saw this room and I saw the paintings through the door and it looked really interesting and everything was so beautiful and-"

"Shut up. It's okay, I get it." He said while walking into the room.

"Uh, did you paint these?" I asked dumbly.

"Yeah. I'm kind of an artist, I guess. I mainly do paintings but I've been trying out sculptures lately. I'm no good at sculpting though." He sighed.

"Are you serious? Everything in here is so beautiful! I really like this one." I said while pointing to the panther. He nodded stiffly and walked over to it.

"It's my favorite too. It means the most to me. Sorry for saying you can't touch it, it's just…" he trailed off while gazing at his masterpiece. There was a tension filled silence so I decided to fill the void.

"So, do you sell your pieces?" I asked.

"Um, I don't really know where to start. I wanted to go to a street fair but…I guess I'm kind of afraid that people won't like it or they will make fun of me or something." He said while shrugging. "So I have that daycare job to pay for rent and art supplies but I don't know what I'm gonna do later in life. I didn't go to art school because I couldn't afford it and who's gonna want anything from a high school drop out? So here I am."

"Well, if it helps at all, I think you should start selling these because they are stunning." He looked at me with a stunned expression.

"Uh, thanks." He said. There was some more silence and he coughed awkwardly. "So, um…do you want to order pizza or something?"

"Oh, sure." I said. He turned back into the living room and I followed him. We sat on the couch and flipped on the tv.

"Is pepperoni good?" he asked.

"Yeah, it's good." I said. He nodded and called up the pizza place. After he was done, we started to get to know each other better.

"So, uh, have you lived here all your life?" he asked me.

"Yeah, you?"

"I moved here from Germany when I was 5." He said.

"That's so cool! Can you speak German?" I asked.

"Ja, ich kann Deutsch sprechen." He said. Speaking a different language must be the hottest thing in the world to me. I felt myself blush. He noticed because he started smirking. "Es scheint, wie Sie mag es, wenn ich Deutsch spreche, Ichigo."

"I don't know what you're saying but wow, that's really cool."

"Yup. Do you know any other languages?"

"Not really, no."

"Oh, lame. Do you have any hobbies?"

"Uh, yeah I sing and play guitar…well I guess I usually only play guitar ever since-." I said awkwardly. He raised his eyebrows.

"Really? That's really cool. Would you sing something?"

"No." I said.

"Okay, I won't pry." He said. At that moment the doorbell rang signaling that the pizza was here. Grimmjow hopped up and went to the door. He came back with a pizza box in his hands. He placed it on the table and moved over to sit next to me. However, he tripped on my foot and fell onto me. At that moment, Nnoitra came out of his bedroom.

"Is that pizza I smell?" he asked smirking. He saw the position we were in and started laughing. "Sorry! I shouldn't have interrupted you guys if you were fucking. I'll just take my pizza and go."

"No! It's not like that! He tripped and-" I started to explain.

"Whatever, Berry, you guys were all over each other." Nnoitra said after grabbing a slice.

"We were not fucking!" I said.

"Not yet, at least." Grimmjow said while taking a slice of pizza. Nnoitra cackled once more and retreated back into his room. I stared at Grimmjow in disbelief.

"Do you mean that?" I asked him.

"Maybe. Shut up and eat your pizza, it's getting cold." I pouted and started to eat.

Grimmjow POV

Me and Ichi finished the pizza and watched TV for a bit. Suddenly, his phone started to ring. He answered it. I heard a loud voice on the other end.

"ICHIGO, MY SON, YOUR BELOVED PAPA AND YOUR LOVELY SISTERS ARE HOME. WHERE ARE YOU? ARE YOU OUT WITH A DATE! MY HANDSOME SON IS SO GROWN UP!" a voice yelled.

"DAD, SHUT THE FUCK UP OR I'll BEAT YOUR FACE IN THROUGH THIS PHONE. I'M AT A FRIENDS HOUSE I'M LEAVING NOW." He yelled back and shut the phone. "Sorry about that, my dad is an idiot." I laughed.

"It's cool. You're leaving?" he nodded. "Okay."

"Thanks for everything. I had a fun time, actually. A fun time beating your ass in Super Smash Bros." he said.

"Whatever, I let you win." I said while walking to the door.

"Anyway, I'll see ya tomorrow, Grimm."

"Grimm? Are you making pet names for me already?" I smirked. He blushed and knit his eyebrows together. "Don't worry." I said while leaning in close. "I like it."

"Ah, yeahwellbyeseeyatomorrowbye." He said really fast and ran out. I chuckled and shut the door. Yup, I'm gonna have the Berry falling for me in no time.

**Hey guys! Sorry this is so late, testing was crazy this past week and a half and I had no time to do anything but study L But it's okay. I think this chapter is kinda long so I hope it makes up for my absence. I tried to work on character development this chapter…I hope it's not too much at once! Anyway, I want to thank those people who have been reading, reviewing, following, and favoriting so far. Thanks CrimsonClocks for your awesome ideas (one of them is in this chapter). Anyway, remember to review please! Your feedback really helps! **

**P.S. – I know NOTHING about German so I just went on Google translate. The phrases (roughly?) translate: **

**Ja, ich kann Deutsch sprechen- Yes I can speak German**

**Es scheint, wie Sie mag es, wenn ich Deutsch spreche, Ichigo- It seems you like it when I speak German, Ichigo**

**Again, sorry if the translations are totally wrong ^-^**


	4. Memories

Chapter 4

Ichigo POV

I left Grimmjow's apartment with my cheeks flaring with heat. Why did I call him Grimm? It was a total accident, it kinda just slipped out. His reaction was not expected though. He leaned in really closed to my face and purred into my ear, which was probably one of the sexiest experience I have ever found myself in. I started to babble like an idiot and quickly left before he could say anything else. I shook my head. Why the hell am I so awkward? Just when I pressed the elevator button, I heard a door open and Grimmjow called out for me.

"Hey Ichi!" he called as he jogged towards me. "I, uh, never got your number."

"Oh okay." I said while pulling my phone out of my pocket. He did the same and we exchanged numbers.

"Okay cool. I'll text you. Well, bye…again." He said and walked back into his apartment. At that moment,

I left his complex and started to walk home. When I reached my house, I rang the doorbell. The door opened and I saw my little sister.

"Onii-chan! Karin, Papa, Ichigo is home!" she called. I gave Yuzu a hug and stepped inside. I then saw my other sister, Karin, come down from her room upstairs.

"Hey, Ichi-nii." She said.

"Hey Karin!"

Suddenly, I heard heavy footsteps running toward me. I quickly ducked and just missed being kicked in the head by my idiot dad. He flew through the air and crashed into the wall to the left of me.

"Are you crazy? Do you want to kill me one day?" I yelled while kicking him in the gut. He got up quickly and stood in a heroic pose.

"I need to make sure my only son is as strong and agile as his Papa. HAHAHAHAHA. Right, Masaki? OUR LITTLE ICHIGO IS TURNING INTO A MAN!" he bellowed as he ran up to the huge poster of my late mother, tears streaming down his face.

I sighed and made my way into the kitchen.

"I left some dinner for you, it's in the oven!" Yuzu called after me. I looked back and smiled at her. Yuzu has been a great help ever since my mom died almost 2 years ago. She pretty much took the place of a housewife; cooking, cleaning, doing the laundry. For a 14 year old girl, it really is a huge deal. I don't even know how she manages to keep her grades up when she's busy all the time.

I took my dinner out of the oven and went over to our family room to eat and watch some tv. After about 20 minutes, I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I unlocked the screen and realized it was a text from Grimmjow. I started smiling like an idiot. At that moment, my dad walked into the family room.

"Ichigo! Why are you smiling like that? Who are you texting? Is it your hot date from before?" my dad said while trying to look at my phone. I picked up our couch cushion and threw it at his face.

"MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS, GOAT-FACE!" I screamed as he ran out. I sighed and opened up the text.

**_(Grimmjow texts are bolded and Ichigo texts are italicized. A hyphen indicates a new message.)_**

**-Hey Ichi…I hope I'm not bothering you**

I felt myself blush. Wow, who knew he could be so considerate?

_-No, I'm just hanging out by myself._

**-Yeah, probably because you have no friends. **

I rolled my eyes. Considerate, my ass.

_-What do you want from me?_

**-Idk. Just bored. Entertain me. **

_-How am I supposed to do that?_

** -Come back to mine and we can have some fun ;)**

** -**_Bye_

_ -_**Nooo I was kidding**

** -Well not really…**

** -Ichi?**

** -Fine see ya tomorrow **

I read his last text and shut off my phone. I wonder if his perverted way of flirting means he's actually interested in me. Or am I just overthinking it? He's probably just joking around. I frown, turn off the tv, and head into the kitchen to put my plate away. Then, I went up to my room. I shut the door and threw myself on the bed. Today has been exhausting. So far, my job is pretty cool. Working with kids isn't as bad as I expected it to be. I was also able to develop a crush on a person that I haven't even known for a full 24 hours. He is annoying and insufferable yet charming and sexy at the same time. He has a side to him that I really want to get to know. I want to know about that black panther painting, and what it means to him. I felt so bad for intruding into his personal space. I thought for sure that he was going to punch me in the face or tell me to get the fuck out of his house but his face was so unreadable and serious. And when he looked at that painting, I could tell that it brought back painful memories.

But I have painful memories of my own. I looked over at my guitar that was propped up against the wall on the opposite side of my room. It takes a lot of effort not to cry when I look at it. Up until about a month ago, I cried every time I saw its mahogany wood that was scuffed up a bit from its constant use. It was my mom's old acoustic guitar. We used to go around and play our guitars together and I would sing. We would go to nursing homes, charity events, and sometimes we just played and sang in the streets.

**_(Flashback italicized) _**

_"Ichigo, why don't we play right here?" she said._

_"In front of the deli?" I answered._

_"Yeah, why not?" _

_We started unpacking our guitars and started to tune them. She started strumming some generic chords when she started talking again._

_"So, what are we going to sing first?" she asked._

_"Uh…" _

_She started laughing and scrunched up her eyebrows in thought. _

_"Hmm, why don't we start off with Hallelujah, by Leonard Cohen?" _

_"Okay, I like that one." _

_She started strumming the chords and added her own style into it. I closed my eyes. Her playing was so beautiful; I will probably never be as good. I started to accompany her with my own basic chords and after a few moments, I started to sing._

**_I've heard there was a secret chord_**

**_That David played, and it pleased the Lord_**

**_But you don't really care for music, do you?_**

_At this point, passersby were starting to smile at us and put money in our guitar cases. My mom softly told them that we don't play for money. The thing about my mom was that she just wanted to play for the sake of playing and making others happy. The onlookers looked at us kind of funny, but shrugged and continued on their way. _

**_It goes like this_**

**_The fourth, the fifth_**

**_The minor fall, the major lift_**

**_The baffled king composing Hallelujah_**

_I paused from singing for a moment to look at her playing. She wasn't looking at me because her eyes were closed, but I could tell she was so happy and content playing the guitar. This made me happy._

**_Hallelujah, Hallelujah_**

**_Hallelujah, Hallelujah_**

_I looked over at her again and this time she was smiling at me. She leaned over and whispered in my ear. _

_"You have a beautiful voice, Ichigo." She said with a smile. Hearing her say that made me so happy. Whenever I played with her, I was always happy. I was looking at her when I saw her face fall quickly. Her eyes shined with terror at something behind me. I turned around quickly and saw a car barreling toward us. _

_"ICHIGO!" she screamed and pushed me out of the way. I felt an immense pain, a snap, and then I was on the ground. I couldn't feel my legs. I opened my eyes and saw my mother lying on top of me. I was relieved until I saw that she was under the wheel of a car. And there was blood spilling out of her mouth. She had a sad smile on her face as she uttered the last words she would ever speak._

_"Stay good, Ichigo. I love you." She croaked as he bright eyes turned dim and slid closed. I screamed at the top of my lungs for 5 seconds, 10 seconds, 20 seconds, 1 minute, 5 minutes, I don't even remember. I woke up in a white hospital room with my dad looking down on me with tears in his eyes. _

_"Ichigo! You're finally awake!" he said while embracing me, sobbing into my shoulder. Oh yeah, the accident. I looked down at my legs. They were both wrapped in a large cast. I lifted my arms and saw they were badly bruised. My head hurt. I remembered my mom. I pushed my dad off of me. He looked down on me, a bit startled._

_"Where's Mom?" I whispered. My dad's eyes closed. My sisters in the corner of the room started crying. I knew what happened; of course I knew what happened. I just couldn't come to terms with it. I got angry. _

_"ANSWER ME!" I shouted even though my throat felt completely raw and irritated. My dad shook his head sadly._

_"Ichigo, she was killed. The car crushed her vital organs. She was pronounced dead at the scene." He whispered. I screamed again. For how long? I can't remember ,it was all a blur. I heard the heart monitor start beeping erratically. I ripped the IV out of my arm. I tried to get out of bed, but the pain was immense. I screamed some more. Nurses ran into my room and tried to hold me down. I clawed at their faces, ignoring the searing pain in my arms. My dad called for a doctor. My sisters cried louder. Someone injected me with something and it all went black. _

They were able to save my mother's guitar from the wreckage. We had it repaired since there were some superficial damages to the exterior. After the repair, I leaned it against the wall in my room and never touched it again. I got a new guitar and played that one occasionally, but I never sang since. The memory of her is too strong. Sadly, music makes me a bit uneasy. I realized I was crying silently. I sighed, closed my eyes, and went to sleep early.

Grimmjow POV

After Ichigo left, I was really bored. About an hour after he left, Nnoi had some weirdo named Luppi come over and the sounds coming from their bedroom was not something I wanted to hear at the moment, or any moment for that matter. I went to my bedroom, shut the door, and started blasting music to drown out the gross moaning I was hearing. I texted Ichigo out of boredom but I said dumb stuff and he stopped answering me. I checked the time. It was about 8:30 and I was tired. I guess I can call it an early night and maybe I will be able to wake up on time tomorrow. I turned off the music. I listened for a couple of seconds and thankfully didn't hear any sounds coming from outside. I sighed in relief and lay on my bed. I was easily able to fall asleep.

_(The dream is italicized.)_

_"Mom, Dad, I'm back. Where are you?" I called out. The house was empty. The furniture was gone. The TV, the couch, the table, the chairs. "Mom? Dad? Are we moving again?" I looked around confused until I heard a small crying noise._

_"Nel!" I said as I ran to her room. Her bed was gone. She was on the floor, shivering. "Nel, what's wrong? Where's all of our stuff? Where's Mom and Dad?" _

_"They left with a bunch of scary guys. They took all of our stuff, even my dolls! I asked where they were going and they said on vacation. I told them I wanted to go but they said no I have to stay here. Then they left and I'm cold and hungry." She cried while hugging me. _

_I lifted her up and looked around the house for any note from my parents. There was nothing. I was able to find a couple of blankets and some cans of beans after searching through the house. I wrapped Nel and myself in a blanket and we ate a can of beans in silence. Nel cried the whole time. Sometimes she screamed and sometimes she just whimpered like an injured puppy. She would whisper, "Mommy and Daddy come back" or "Why did you leave us". We went to sleep to the sound of her tears. Crying…crying…..crying…_

I bolted from my bed and ran straight to the bathroom. I ran to the toilet and started to puke my guts out. I fucking HATE my nightmares of the night that my parents left me and Nel. I get them maybe 3 or 4 times a month. It used to be more frequent, like every day or every other day. It subsided over the years, but they're as terrifying as the day it actually happened. I started sobbing into the toilet and I heard the door open. Nnoitra stepped inside and then closed the door. He came over to me and sat next to me. He patted my back.

"It's alright, Grimm. Just a dream, again." He said softly. I nodded. Just a dream. Nnoi was always there to comfort me when I had one of my episodes. Without him, I would probably be dead. After a few minutes, he helped me up and brought me back to my room. I carefully walked over to the bed and lay down.

"You alright, Grimm?" Nnoi asked quietly. I nodded.

"Thank you." I whispered.

"Yeah, you're welcome." He said while walking back to his room. I was really tired, but I stayed up for the rest of the night.

**Hey! Yeah, this chapter was sad and all but you were able to learn some things about Ichi and Grimm. Thanks for reading and remember to review! Also, you guys should check out my blog specifically for my fanfiction –anime tales blog .tumblr .com. I will be posting updates and asking for suggestions and prompts from you guys in the future for this story and other stories I will write. Thanks **


	5. Calm

**Chapter 5**

**I had originally wanted this story to be short and simple but it has obviously morphed into something deeper and longer, which is okay! Anyway, here's chapter 5. **

Ichigo POV

I woke up to the sound of my alarm ringing. 7:30. I have 30 minutes to get to the daycare. I rolled myself out of bed and shuffled over to the bathroom across the hall. I closed the door and walked over to the sink. I looked at my reflection in the mirror and sighed. My eyes were red and irritated from last night. Thinking about last night made my eyes water some more. I slammed my hands down on the sink. _It's been two fucking years, Ichigo. Get a grip. _I heard a knock at the door.

"Ichi-nii? Are you alright?" I heard Yuzu call from the door.

"Yeah I…I'm fine. It's alright." I said back.

"Okay well, I heard a noise and I thought…Anyway, I made you breakfast. Me and Karin are heading to school now. Bye!"

"Thanks Yuzu. Tell Karin I said bye." I heard Yuzu walk away from the door. I refused to look into the mirror again, not before I washed my face. I quickly washed my face and brushed my teeth. I looked in the mirror for the last time. _Better, _I thought.

I walked back into my room and found a pair of black skinny jeans and a Vans t-shirt and slipped them on. I put on my black converse, grabbed my messenger bag, and headed down the stairs. I walked into the kitchen and saw a steaming plate of bacon and eggs waiting for me. I sat down and quickly devoured the food. It was so good, Yuzu is a great cook. I checked the time on my phone. 7:48. I quickly dumped the empty plate in the sink and ran out of the door. This time, I made sure I had my keys. Although, I would like to visit Grimmjow's house again…

When I reached the daycare, it was about 7:58. I walked through the door and saw Nel and Tatsuki talking about something in the office. I placed my bag in the corner and walked over to the office. I looked around for Grimmjow, but I didn't see him anywhere. Nel and Tatsuki saw me and smiled.

"Hey, Ichigo!" Nel said while giving me one of her suffocating hugs. When she let go, I was gasping for air, but I somehow managed to say "hi" in response.

"Hey Ichigo, can you start preparing the dress up clothes? It's career day today and the kids are gonna be dressing up as different professionals." Tatsuki said while handing me a storage container which, I assumed, was filled with the costumes.

"Sure." I said. I turned to leave but stopped at the door frame. "Uh…Where's Grimmjow?" Nel's smile immediately fell from her face and her eyes filled with worry.

"Oh, he is um…sick. He called in sick so he's not gonna be here today. Anyway Ichigo, you should get started with those costumes!" She said while playfully pushing me out of the door.

"Okay…" I said to myself as I made my way over to the play area. Nel was definitely acting weird. What was wrong with Grimmjow? I know I had just met him and it's really none of my business but…I couldn't help but worry. I ignored my worried feelings and started to sort the costumes.

…

…

…

The day was hectic. Jinta and this other kid named Toshiro were fighting over the fireman costume and it took a good 20 minutes of searching for another costume to break the fight. Immediately after that, it took another 20 minutes to decide who got to wear the "cooler" one. In the end, neither of them got to wear it. Of course, they were upset and pouted in a corner for another 20 minutes. The only thing that lured them out of said corner was the promise of watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, their favorite show.

Overall, I was glad the day was over. It was a bit bland without Grimmjow being around, but I was sure he would be there the next day. I grabbed my messenger bag, said bye to all of my co-workers, and headed out of the daycare and down the street. I started to slow as I got to Grimmjow's street. _I think I should check up on him_, I thought. I mean, what's the worst that can go wrong? I turned on his street and walked to his apartment complex. I walked into the lobby and waved to the guy behind the desk. I think his name was Starrk.

"Oh, you're the kid from yesterday!" Starrk said while leaning on the desk. I scowled when he called me "kid". Why does everyone call me that?

"Yeah, I'm Ichigo. And you're Starrk, right?" I asked while sticking out my hand.

"The one and only." He said while grabbing my hand to shake it. "So anyway, why are you here?"

"Oh, well, have you seen Grimmjow around today?"

"Umm…no. I haven't. But you're welcome to go up to his place if you want; floor 7 and room 7B" Starrk said while pointing to the elevator.

"Okay thanks. Nice meeting you." I said while walking over to the elevator. I pushed the 7 button and waited for the elevator to reach its destination. I heard the familiar ding signaling that I was at the 7th floor and stepped out of the elevator. I walked up to room 7B, took a deep breath, and knocked at the door. I heard some shuffling and saw someone put their eye to the peep hole.

"Oi Berry, now is really not a good time to be flirting with Grimm." I heard Nnoitra's voice call from behind the door. "He ain't right."

"I just wanted to see if he was okay since he wasn't at the daycare yesterday." I said. Nnoitra opened the door and I was surprised to see him dressed in a navy mechanic uniform.

"Okay listen," he said. "Grimm ain't feelin' too good. I gotta go to work now and I suggest you don't stick around for too long. Just go in, say hi, say bye, and leave. He's…you'll see. Anyway, I gotta run. I can't be late." He ran over to the elevator and hopped in.

What did he mean? Why didn't he want me to stick around for too long? I shrugged my shoulders and walked into the flat.

Grimmjow POV

I didn't even wake up that morning. You can't wake up when you haven't slept. It was 7:00 am. I couldn't go to work today. Tatsuki would understand. She's used to this. I rolled out of bed and walked over to the mirror hanging in my bedroom. My eyes were red and puffy. I had the gross taste of vomit in my mouth my face had tear stains. I cursed loudly and plopped back face down in bed. I heard the door creak open.

"I heard you and decided to check on you." Nnoitra said quietly, a big contrast compared to what I usually hear from him.

"You know the drill. I lay here wallowing in my own despair, go paint, and then snap out of it." I mumbled. He nodded. I was surprised he heard me because I couldn't even understand myself. Well, I guess he knew what happened after I had I nightmare.

"I'm gonna go get you some food." He said while leaving. Most likely he would get me McDonalds, my favorite fast food. He would put it on my bedside table and I would stare at it but not eat it. That's how it always went. He suggested I should see a therapist, as this has been going on for years. When he first suggested that, I punched him in the face and gave him a black eye. But now that I've thought it over during the years, I realized that it would probably be a good move for me. But I don't want to talk to any random indifferent doctor about my past. I've never talked to anyone about my past. If I tell anyone, it would have to be someone I genuinely care about. The only one who knows is Nnoi and Nel, since they were part of it. So there I was, laying on my bed beginning the emotional catatonic cycle that came along with a nightmare.

About 20 minutes passed and I heard Nnoitra come into the apartment. He walked into my room and placed the bag of greasy goodness on my bedside table.

"Here you go." He said. He looked at me with sadness in his eyes. This got me mad.

"Don't fucking look at me like that, Nnoi." I gritted out. He stared at me for another 10 seconds and sighed.

"Grimm, ya gotta get some help." He whispered.

"Nnoi, get out." I growled. I didn't want to deal with one of his pep talks. I am well aware I need help. I'm just not ready for it. He walked back to the door, gave me one last look and closed it. I closed my eyes and tried to fall back asleep but flashbacks and bad memories plagued my mind.

…

…

…

A couple of hours later I decided to get up and go to my art room to paint.

Painting has really been the only escape for me. Whenever I got like this, I would lock myself in my art room and paint until I couldn't keep my eyes open. Some of my best pieces were made when I was in an emotional frenzy.

When I got into the room, I shut the door. I walked over to my supply closet and pulled out black, navy, white, and pink paint. I pulled out a tarp and laid it on the floor. I placed all of the paint on the tarp in a row. I grabbed some paint brushes and a canvas from the closet and placed it onto the tarp alongside the paint. I stopped and looked approvingly at my setup.

I took off my shirt and my pants so that I was just in my boxers. For some reason, I liked to paint half naked. It made me feel more…free; it was more natural for me. Yeah, I'm weird. Anyway, I threw my clothes into the corner of the room and stretched. Already, I was feeling a little better than before. More…relaxed. Less stressed and disturbed. I cracked my knuckles, kneeled at the canvas, and started painting.

…

…

…

It was 4:00 way too soon. There's no clock in my painting room, but I knew because Nnoitra was getting ready to go to work. He worked as a mechanic for some scary guy named Kenpachi. He poked his head through the door.

"Uh, hey. I'm goin' to work now." He said reluctantly. I grunted in response, but I didn't look up at him. I was too immersed in painting.

"And sorry about before…about the…you know. I know you hate it when I bring it up so-" he started to say before I interrupted him.

"Yeah, it's alright." I mumbled. I looked over at him. He nodded slowly.

"Okay, see ya later." He said as he walked out. I continued painting. I didn't even hear the knocking at the door. I heard the door open and expected to see Nnoitra there to tell me something else. I looked up and gasped when I saw Ichigo.

Ichigo POV

Let's just say I didn't expect to see Grimmjow half-naked covered in paint spots while sitting on a tarp when I peeked into his art room. I stared at him startled and he stared back at me with the same expression. He looked me over for a couple more seconds and then continued to paint as if nothing happened. I stared at him confused for a moment before I decided to say something.

"So, you weren't at the daycare today…"I said.

"Obviously." He mumbled while still painting.

"Nel told me you were sick so I thought I would come check on you…since I was kind of passing by I guess." He stopped painting.

"I'm not sick. Depressed? Yes. Traumatized? Yes. But not sick." He said while looking directly at me. That took me off guard. Grimmjow was depressed and traumatized? I honestly didn't know how to respond. I didn't want to pry for information since I only knew the guy for a day and a half. I awkwardly rubbed the back of my neck and looked over at what he was painting. It seemed to be a blue, black, and white flame with some pink in the middle.

"It's beautiful." I told him.

"Don't call things beautiful if you don't even know what they represent." He said simply. He wasn't angry. He just said it in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Wanna tell me what it represents?" I asked. I instantly regretted it. He looked at me, eyes flaring with anger. I thought I was gonna get hit. I froze and waited for the worst. Surprisingly, he didn't get up to attack me. His angered expression turned into confusion. From confusion, his expression changed to one deep in thought.

"No." he said finally. "Not now."

"Okay." I said. I stood awkwardly at the doorframe and watched him as he finished painting.

"It's done." He whispered. He looked really proud and at peace. I liked that expression on him. He put away his paint and supplies but left the painting on the tarp to dry. He stretched and I was able to see his god-like and perfectly toned body. He wasn't too muscular, just the perfect amount. The smears of paint that covered his torso, arms, and part of his face made him look even more spectacular. I couldn't hide my blush. Of course, at that moment, he looked over at me.

"Let me put on some clothes so you can stop blushing like a fucking virgin." He chuckled. I blushed even more out of embarrassment, but I was happy to see him with a little more life in him. When I had first walked in, he looked like he was in a trance, like a zombie. He still had dark circles under his eyes and his eyes were red and puffy, but he looked alright. I assumed that he was a wreck before I arrived. I can tell he had some sort of emotional event happen to him, and I also assumed it had something to do with some of his paintings, especially the panther.

Grimmjow walked out of the art room and into his bedroom, opened a drawer, and pulled out a plain black v neck. He pulled it on over his head as his muscled stretched in the sexiest way. He ran a hand through his unruly blue locks and it almost made my knees buckle. He stared at me for a bit and I had no idea what to say.

"Well, I just came to see if you were alright and you seem to be alright so I'll go…" I said while turning around. I felt a large hand grab my shoulder and spin me around.

"Stay, please." He said. I nodded and then he walked past me into the living room. He plopped down on the couch. I followed him and sat next to him.

Grimmjow POV

Sitting next to Ichigo, I realized how strange this whole situation was.

"It's weird." I said

"What's weird?"

"You and me."

"How?"

"I've known you for a day and a half, yet you are sitting here in my apartment talking to me when usually I don't talk to anyone when I'm like this."

"Oh, yeah I guess that's a little weird." He said while chuckling. I looked over at him. I noticed that his eyes were really interesting. They weren't just plain brown, they had flecks of hazel and gold and amber in them which made them look like some sort of precious stone. I guess he noticed that I was staring and started to blush. I smiled at that.

"You kind of…calm me down, I've noticed." I blurted out. He looked at me kind of funny, but in an understanding way. I cursed. "Sorry, that kind of just slipped out."

"Trust me, I understand what you mean. I can kind of relate to your whole…emotional situation."

"Does it have to do with your singing?" I asked. His eyes opened a bit wider, but he just looked away. I took that as a yes. "I'm not asking you to explain, I just wanted to know." He nodded. We sat in silence until I heard his phone vibrate. He opened a text message and sighed.

"Uh, my dad wants me home now for some reason…will I see you tomorrow?" he said.

"Yeah, I'm good." We both got up and I walked him over to the door. He stood awkwardly in the door frame and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Maybe if you tell me about your singing I will tell you about my painting….some other time." I said. He reluctantly nodded and walked away.

**This took way too long to write, and I'm sorry. I'm not even that happy with the way it turned out but it's alright. Anyway, please review and tell me what you think! **


	6. Wanna come over?

**Chapter 6**

**Hello! New chapter, hope you like it! (Don't attack me, I know it's late. Sorry! Explanation at the end!) **

Ichigo POV

I walked out from Grimmjow's apartment feeling…well I can't really think of a word to describe it but it was a mixture of understanding, apprehension, and happiness. I understand Grimmjow's emotions, and how he could be so out of it on some days. I was like that too for a little bit after my mom died. However, I was also a bit apprehensive…and nervous, even. He wants to know about my past; about why I don't sing. I don't know if I'm going to be ready to talk about it. Overall, I felt happy that Grimmjow and I have such a strong connection with each other. He said that it was strange that he was talking to me in his state after knowing me for such a short amount of time. I really hoped our relationship blossoms into a really strong friendship, and then maybe something more…

But why had my father texted me? He usually isn't this urgent about…anything, really. I adjusted my messenger strap on my shoulder as I stared at the descending countdown of floors in the elevator. When I reached the lobby, I waved goodbye to Starrk and walked out into the warm summer night. As I walked, I wondered if me visiting Grimmjow every day after work would become some sort of routine. I really hoped so. I smiled a bit and continued down the street.

I finally reached my house, turned the key in the door, and stepped into our foyer. I expected an attempt at a roundhouse kick aimed at my head to immediately follow my entrance, but no kick came. No tackle, punch, or head-butt. Not even a slap. Strange…

"Hey, I'm home." I called out.

"Ichigo! We're in the dining room!" I heard my dad call out. I guess everyone was in the dining room. Are we having a family meeting? I walked into the dining room and found my sisters sitting at the table along with my dad and some busty lady with orange-blonde hair.

"Ichigo, my son! Take a seat!" my dad called out as he stood up and stretched his arms toward me.

"You don't need to scream, I can hear you just fine, goat-face." I mumbled as I took a seat across from the strange woman. Yuzu ran into the kitchen and got me a plate of food. I nodded my head thanks and started to eat. After a few minutes of silence, I finished the majority of my food and looked up at the lady. She was very beautiful. I had not seen her stand up yet, but she was probably tall with a good body. Her hair was thick and flowing. She was wearing a black sweater with a pink scarf and she looked like an overall pleasant person.

"So are we gonna sit here like a bunch of idiots or are you gonna introduce me to the random person sitting at the table with us?" I asked while rolling my eyes.

"Ichigo! Don't be rude. Papa taught you better!" He said. "Oh, yeah! Ichigo, this is Matsumoto." She smiled sweetly and shook my hand.

"Nice to meet you, Ichigo! You're father told me so much about you!" she said. I nodded but didn't smile back.

"Okay yeah, so what is she doing here?" I asked impatiently.

"Ichigo! Manners!" my dad said.

"Oh, it's alright, dear!" she said while chuckling. I froze. Dear?

"Don't you tell me…" I whispered.

"Ichigo! Matsumoto is my girlfriend! We are getting serious and I wanted you to meet her!" he screamed while striking a heroic pose.

Ah, well I knew this was gonna happen sooner or later. Dad was going to move on from Mom and find some new chick to make his wife. I glanced over at Matsumoto again. She closed her eyes and smiled again. My mother used to make that same facial expression. I sighed.

"Well, I'm happy for you two. Honestly. I'm just gonna…go upstairs now." I said while getting up. "Nice to meet you, Matsumoto. I guess we'll be seeing each other frequently from now on."

She nodded. "Yup! See you Ichigo!" she chirped while waving. I nodded and headed toward my room.

Once I got in, I shut the door, plopped on the bed, and shut my eyes. Today has been emotionally and physically exhausting and I really didn't have the energy to think about anything. I decided to call it a really early night and drift off to sleep, without even changing my clothes.

Grimmjow POV

I watched the door for a couple of minutes after Ichigo left. He's…different. I feel like he understands what I went through even though I haven't even told him yet. It's like he can see right through me, or read me like I was some sort of fucking crystal ball. It scares the shit out of me mostly because I've never had a relationship like that before. No one has been able to relate to me on the level that he can and we haven't even directly talked about anything yet. I think most people would agree that's pretty fucking scary.

I yawned and stretched and made my way to my bedroom. On my way, I glanced into my art room to view my latest painting. I smiled fondly at it; all of my paintings are pretty much an extension of me and my emotions. I sighed contently and made my way to my bedroom. I sat on the bed and ran my hands through my blue locks. I was exhausted, and I needed to sleep if I was going to bother Ichigo all day tomorrow.

Ichigo POV

I woke up rather abruptly. I glanced at the time. _Shit, it was 7:50_. I got up and ran to the bathroom. I brushed my teeth the fastest I have ever brushed in my life, and I didn't even bother taming my hair. I ran back into my room and threw on the nearest pair of jeans and t-shirt. I slid on some socks (that didn't match, by the way) and slipped on my converse. I ran downstairs expecting to see Yuzu and Karin, but it had seemed that they already left. I shrugged, grabbed a piece of bread, my messenger bag, and my phone and dashed out of the door.

I reached the daycare panting and sweating and I still arrived almost 5 minutes late. I walked through the door and braced myself for the yelling that was about to come. The first voice I heard was, of course, Grimmjow's voice.

"Ey, Berry! Yer 5 minutes late!" he yelled with no bite to it. He was standing in the threshold of the office looking as hot as ever. He was wearing a tight black t-shirt, a pair of dark destroyed jeans, and Timberland work boots. He was looking at me with his annoying yet charming smirk and I rolled my eyes. At least he was feeling (and looking, might I add) better than yesterday.

"Sorry!" I said and started walking toward the office. I saw Tatsuki push past Grimmjow with a scowl.

"Grimmjow, you have no right telling him he's late since you got here about 30 seconds earlier than him. So shut up and get to work." She said. He frowned, mumbled something inaudible, and dragged his feet all the way to the arts and crafts table to start to set up. "Don't worry Ichigo, it's only 5 minutes and it's your first time being late, anyway. Just don't make a habit of it."

"Thanks, Tatsuki." I said. She nodded and went back into the office. At that moment, Nel ran out of the office and hugged me. I think I was becoming immune to the effects of her hugs because I didn't feel as light headed as usual. When she released me she gave me a really big smile.

"Hi Ichigo!" she shouted.

"Nel, I'm right here, you don't have to shout. " I said while chuckling. She smiled again and leaned up close to my ear.

"Starrk told me you went to see Grimmy yesterday. He seems happier. Thanks." She whispered. I blushed and nodded quickly.

"Uh, no problem." I said, kind of embarrassed. She then put her hand on her hip and smirked at me. She looked surprisingly like her brother when she did that, and that kind of freaked me out.

"I know you like him." She said plainly. I gaped at her.

"Wh-What? I-I d-don-" I stuttered like an idiot.

"Yeah, you do. I can tell. I may seem like a ditz but I can see that you two have a connection." She said, rather loudly. Grimmjow looked over with an idiotic look of confusion on his face. Did he hear that?! I quickly clamped my hand on Nel's mouth.

"Shhhh!" I whispered. She licked the inside of my palm in order to free herself. I pulled my hand away and wiped it on my pants. "Ew!"

"Admit it or I will say it louder." She said raising her voice. Grimmjow was full-on looking at us now. He looked semi-amused.

"Nel, please be qui-"

"Ichigo has a cru-"she started to scream before a covered her mouth with my hand frantically.

"Okay,okay. I admit it." I whispered. "Just chill."

I looked over at Grimmjow, who was still staring at us. Luckily, Tatsuki came and slapped him in the back of the head screaming, "GET BACK TO WORK YOU LAZY BUM" I chuckled at the injured puppy like expression Grimmjow had while rubbing the back of his head. He pouted and slowly got back to work. I turned back to Nel because I heard her giggling.

"Yay! I knew it, you and Grimmy will be so cute together." She said.

"Yeah, but I don't think he's gonna wanna date me…" I said while scratching the back of my neck. He didn't seem like the dating type.

"Well he's never really had time for a real relationship cuz he had to take care of me but…now I'm almost 17…so he should be good." She said. Grimmjow had to take care of Nel? Didn't they have parents? I decided to push that to the back of my mind for now.

"Oh, well I don't want to force him to do anything…it has to come naturally I guess." I said. Nel started to respond when Tatsuki came up to us and whacked us both in the head.

"IT IS 8:20 AND YOU GUYS HAVE DONE NOTHING! GET TO WORK OR I WILL FIRE ALL OF YOU AND HIRE SOME PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTUALLY COMPETENT!" she shouted.

"We'll talk later." Nel whispered and ran off to set up the snacks. I chuckled and decided to help Grimmjow set up the arts and crafts. I pulled up a mini kid chair and sat next to him.

"Need help?" I asked him. He was still pouting from when Tatsuki slapped him upside the head. He looked at me and smirked.

"Not from you, Berry." He said.

"Well considering you pretty much got nothing done from the time you started says that you do, in fact, need my help." I said smugly.

"Geez, no need to be a prick about it." He mumbled as he pushed some of the supplies near me. I smiled in triumph and started to work.

Grimmjow POV

About 10 minutes after Ichigo decided to sit next to me, the kids started to file in. We didn't really notice until Jinta tapped us on the shoulder. I turned around and smiled.

"Hey Jinta." I said. He waved but he looked really confused. "What's that face for?"

"Well, last time you guys were together, you were fighting about hair color. But now you're sitting next to each other. I don't know about you, but I don't sit next to people I don't like." Jinta explained. I chuckled.

"Yeah, I guess we do argue sometimes." I said while laughing. Ichigo looked up at me with an annoyed expression, but continued what he was doing. "But we're cool, I guess."

"So you like each other?" Jinta asked a bit too innocently. Ichigo, shocked at what Jinta had said, dropped the glue he was working with and it spilled all over the table. He cursed silently and went to get some paper towel. I stared, dumbfounded at what he said.

"Wh-what makes you think that?" I asked.

"Well, my mom said that sometimes, if a girl likes you, she will be mean and tease you to get your…your…umm…what's the word…"

"Attention?"

"Yeah! Attention. But I guess it can work with boys too, right?" he said as he walked away to go play with his trucks.

"Yeah…I guess." I said to no one in particular. Ichigo then came back with a bunch of wet paper towels to clean up the glue spill. He was mumbling to himself, obviously annoyed with the spill. I started laughing at him.

"Smooth, Berry." I said between laughs. He looked up at me and rolled his eyes. I ruffled his hair and stood up. I gave me a funny look but continued what he was doing. I shrugged and went off to greet the kids and their parents.

…

A little while later, it was craft time and we were making macaroni art. This cute little pink (yeah, pink) haired girl was making a smiley face with the noodles when she decided it would be a good idea to chug a whole bottle of glue when me and Ichigo weren't looking.

"This doesn't taste as good as it looks…" I heard her say. I quickly turned around to see glue on the side of her mouth and a little on her shirt.

"Hey! You can't eat that!" I said as I grabbed the bottle from her hands. I placed it at the far end of the table and then kneeled in front of her.

"Open wide." I said. She opened her little mouth and I saw strands of glue connecting her bottom and top teeth and lining her inner cheeks. "Aww man. Oi Berry! What should I-"

At that moment, she decided to barf right on my shirt.

"Ah! Gross!" I yelled as I jumped up with the dripping whitish vomit on my shirt. I looked over to Ichigo and he was doubled over laughing his ass off. I scowled and looked back at Yachiru. Nel was lifting her up to take her to the bathroom to clean her up. I sighed and looked down at my shirt. It was completely soaked. Ichigo was still doubled over laughing when I got a brilliant idea.

"Yo, Ichi." I said. He stood up straight and looked at me with tears rolling down his face from laughing so hard. I have him a huge grin and spread my arms out wide. "Hug me, baby."

I saw his eyes open up really wide and he started to back away. He was too slow. I tackled him to the floor and pressed my chest against his. If the vomit wasn't involved, the whole situation would have been pretty sexy. Anyway, I got up after I decided that he had enough torture. I looked down at him and saw that he had a matching splat on the front of his shirt.

"You pri-" he started to shout.

"Hey, watch your language!" I said while laughing. He sighed in exasperation.

"Okay, you absolute jerk, what are we supposed to do about our shirts? We can't walk around smelling like barf." He said while gesturing to his shirt. At that moment, Tatsuki came out of the office and frowned.

"Gross. Hm…I might have some old employee uniform shirts in the closet. Lemme check." She said while jogging to her office. She came out with two shirts on hand. "Here they are" she said while holding out a sky blue t-shirt with "KARAKURA DAYCARE" written in colorful letter. "But, they're size small. It's better than nothing, I guess."

"I'm not gonna fit in a small." I said gesturing to my torso.

"It's either you go the rest of the day with barf on your shirt or you change. Now go!" she said while pushing us to the unisex bathroom stall.

"So, uh, I'll change first." Ichigo said. I nodded, but Tatsuki smacked both of us on the shoulder.

"Just change together! You're both boys! I don't have time for you to act like you don't know what each other have. Hurry up and get back to work!" she said while walking away. Ichigo looked at me nervously and I smirked at him.

"Let's go, Berry." I said while holding the door open for him. He scowled and walked into the bathroom. I followed after him, flipped on the lights, and locked the door. He was about to pull off his shirt when he turned his head around and looked at me suspiciously. I held up my hands innocently.

"I'm not gonna do anything to you." I said while pulling off my shirt in one movement. I tossed it on the floor and looked up at him. He was staring at my chest. I smirked and decided to mess with him.

"Like what you see?" I said while leaning against the wall.

"No, shut up. Put a shirt on." He said while blushing and turning around. I laughed and picked up the shirt. "No way this is gonna fit. I think I should just walk around shirtless, right Ichi?"

I saw him stiffen as he started pulling off his shirt. He wasn't facing me but I could tell that he was really muscular just from looking at his back. He turned around scratching his head, wondering where to put the soiled shirt. He spotted mine on the floor and threw his on top of mine. My eyes returned to his body. He had defined abs and pectorals, but not like mine. He was more built like a swimmer. But, the thing that piqued my interest was the tattoo that he had right at the bottom of his ribs.

I guess he saw me staring at the tattoo because he said, "It says 'Halleluiah.'" He said.

"Oh." I said. I wanted to ask why but I didn't want to pry for info. I just nodded and attempted to pull on my shirt. After a few moment of struggling, I finally managed to get it on. It reached about an inch below my below my belly button. The sleeves were suffocating my biceps and the collar was way too tight. "This shit is too tight." I said as I looked over at him.

The shirt was too small for him, but it looked sexy. About an inch of his stomach was showing. The sleeves hugged his biceps nicely. I looked down at myself and sighed.

"At least you look good, I just look like an idiot." I said. He blushed and then laughed.

"You always look like an idiot." He said.

"Man, I give you one compliment but you return it with an insult. That hurts, Berry." I said while clutching my chest sarcastically. He rolled his eyes and picked up the vomit covered shirts. He tossed mine to me.

"Let's get plastic bags to put these in." he said while opening the door. I followed behind him, and I would be lying if I said I wasn't staring at his ass the whole time.

Ichigo POV

The whole situation in the bathroom proved to me that Grimmjow was, in fact, interested in me. I blushed coming out of the bathroom with Grimmjow following behind me like a puppy. I glanced over at Nel and I saw her wink at me. These people are gonna drive me crazy.

…

…

…

It was the end of the day and all of the kids already went home. No more crazy events happened after the barfing situation, and I was relieved.

I grabbed my messenger bag and waved goodbye to Nel, Tatsuki, and everyone else. Grimmjow and I were arguing about…I don't even remember, actually. We walked out together yelling insults and threats. When we came to the intersection where we have to split up, we both stood there awkwardly. \

"Well, uh, see ya tomorrow." I said while waving and walking to my house.

"Bye." He said reluctantly. After about 10 seconds I heard someone call my name.

"Oi, Ichigo!" Grimmjow called. I was halfway down the street when I looked back. "Umm…wanna come over for a bit?"

**Hope you liked it! I tried to add some funny stuff in order to make up for the sad events from the previous chapters. So, sorry again it's so late. Give me 2 weeks and I should be back on track for updating every week. I've been so busy with school and essays and extracurricular stuff. Yup, that's it. Please review. All of the reviews I've been getting so far are so nice and encouraging, and I thank you all of you for reviewing and following and favoriting etc.! Okay, see ya next time! **


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